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A Masked Ball. —A masked ball, which borught out a considerable number of quaintly dressed people, was a rather successful affair in Wellington last Monday night. A Walking Match. —Mr J. L. Wiltshire, of Marton, has challenged Mr W. Delaney to walk from Wanganui to Palmerston, via Marton, back the same way and then finishing at Marton; stakes to be from £SO to £IOO aside. Delaney prefers finishing at Wanganui, that being now his head quarters, and answers the j challenge by offering to walk from Foxton to Wanganui, stakes to be £IOO aside. The Skylark From Home. —A correspondent at Clive brings under notice of the “Hawke’s Bay Herald” a singular departure in the habit of the skylark, when imported into this colony, from what are its attributes at home. “ Here,” he says, “ these birds are to be seen pouring out their souls in melody—not as at home, high up in the heavens, but upon the fences near the ground. I have seen many of them between Clive and Hav elock, perched almost at my hand, and have been much struck with this change in their habit. Probably it is occasioned by being cooped up in cages during the voyage out. At all events, whatever is the cause the fact remains, and I think it sufficiently remarkable to call for ininvestigation. ”

Horrible Suspicion. —The special correspondent of the “ Lyttelton Times” does well to open his latest Wellington gossip from the “ gallery and about the lobbies" with a statement that he has been the occupant of a sick chamber. The assurance somewhat smoothes down the reader's hair, which might otherwise stand on end after reading the special’s closing paragraph as follows ;—A horrible rumor is being circulated respecting the disappearance of a man formerly residing not a hundred miles from Wellington, and although the police pooh-pooh the matter, personal enquriea made on the spot convince me that there should be a searching enquiry. For obvious reasons I will not mention names. The man disappeared some weeks ago, the police alleging that the last time he was seen alive he was ' coming out of a public house. But neighbours allege that for two liours afterwards they heard his voice in altercation with his wife and her paramour, and that next day and for several days afterwards, enormous liras were kept up in this house, and the smell of burning flesh was so horrible that complaints were made to the Inspector of Nuisances. Surely there is a caw here for investigation.

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